10. Commission des Taches Solaires et des Figures Caractéristiques Solaires

Extract

Mr Royds writes: “The original scheme for daily character figures called for integers ranging from 0—5 to characterise the solar activity for bright and dark flocculi. Since then it has appeared to some observatories to be desirable, particularly as the spot cycle has approached its minimum, to quote character figures intermediate between whole integers. Many observatories have introduced 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, etc., in addition to whole integers, whilst others have also used 0.2, 0.7, 1.2, etc. It seems to me that sufficient experience has now been gained to decide how far this subdivision between whole integers is to be carried. Kodaikanal would be willing to revert to the original proposal of whole integers on the scale 0.5. If it is considered desirable to interpolate half integers, I suggest that whole integers on the scale 0-10 would be easier to print and to read.”